Premature babies 'need specialist care for years'

Babies born before a pregnancy has reached 33 weeks can need specialist care throughout much of their childhood, a study claims.

The Lancet's research revealed a high number of premature babies with gestation of less than 33 weeks experienced some degree of disability, including physical and learning problems.

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Scientific progress in helping premature babies to survive was creating concerns over longer-term care and raised questions about provision and cost of rehabilitation services.

The BBC reported Lancet researchers as saying: "Further work is needed to identify the best and most effective early developmental interventions to improve the functional prognosis of motor disabilities."

The French Epipage study was carried out by the Inserm Research Unit on Perinatal Health and Women's Health and Universite Pierre et Marie-Curie-Paris.

It examined 1,800 babies born prior to 33 weeks against 400 full-term babies until the groups were five years old.

Meanwhile researchers in Columbia claim to have made another breakthrough in the care of premature babies with the use of hammocks.